These are fiddleheads and are found in our upstate New York woodlands. Fiddleheads are actually the furled fronds of a young fern and are harvested for use as a vegetable. Left on the plant, each fiddlehead would unroll into a new fern frond. As fiddleheads are harvested early in the season before the frond has opened and reached its full height, they are cut fairly close to the ground. According to Wikipedia, fiddleheads have antioxidant activity, are a source of Omega 3 and Omega 6, and are high in iron and fiber. Fiddleheads only appear for a short time in the spring and according to Ed Pernisi, one of our acquisition specialists, and his wife, Deb, fiddleheads are as sure a sign of spring as Canadian geese flying overhead!